Ukraine boosts garlic imports in spring

Ukraine has boosted garlic imports by a third this spring over the lack of its own production.

Read alsoUkraine exhausts three annual quotas for duty-free exports to EUThat is according to the Ukrainian TSN TV news service, referring to the State Customs Service on March 26.

"Garlic is mostly supplied from China, that is more than 5,000 tonnes annually. At the same time, shipments from Egypt stand at 1,700 tonnes and those from Iran at 200 tonnes," the publication said.

Experts name the lack of domestic industrial-scale production behind the increase in garlic imports.

Background

• Ukraine in 2020 boosted exotic fruit imports by 18%.
• Traditionally, citrus fruit and bananas were in the highest demand last year, while Turkey remained a major supplier of exotic fruit to Ukraine. Almost 270,000 tonnes of such fruit was imported from there in 2020.
• Also, Ukrainian companies buy fruit mainly in Ecuador, Greece, Costa Rica, Spain, and Egypt.